1. Field of the Invention
The claimed invention relates to the reinforcement of doors and door jambs, and more specifically to an assembly that provides concealed reinforcement to the free end of a door and to the door jamb.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reinforcing doors and doorways to prevent unauthorized entry has been common place for many years. In constructing such reinforcements, obtrusive methods of using metal plates to reinforce wooden doors and door jambs have been used with little attempt at minimizing the appearance of such reinforcements. The following United States patents illustrate several of these devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,087 issued to Ghatak discloses a door jamb reinforcer comprising reinforcing rods which are positioned internally along the depth of a door jamb adjacent the area of the bolt receiver or striker plate. The reinforcing rods increase the door jamb""s shear and tensile strength by preventing the jamb from splintering during an attempted forced entry. The door jamb reinforcer is hidden within the door jamb, but does not provide reinforcement to the door. With this in mind, the entrance is still susceptible to forced entry by compromising the door""s edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,129 issued to Bouchard discloses a combination security plate for attachment to a door edge over or in conjunction with a latch set, the security plate providing protection against incursion of a credit card or other light burglary tool directed to the latch or to destruction of the latch area of the door or door stop. This two piece security plate provides reinforcement to the door and door jamb, but does so by compromising the appearance of the entryway.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,621 issued to Baldwin discloses a door security assembly comprising a generally U-shaped striker plate member for fitting transversely around one side edge of a door frame and having a first arm for facing into the door opening having an opening for receiving a door latch, and a second, parallel arm for fitting between the door frame and the surrounding doorway in the wall. The assembly provides reinforcement to the door jamb by covering a portion of the door frame with metal plating in a way that compromises the appearance of the door entry. However, the assembly does not provide reinforcement to the door""s edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,880 issued to Woodruff et al. discloses a door edge construction having an elongated side extrusion attached to the edge of a door. A side cap having a U shaped cross-section is fitted over the side member and over the edges of the door so as to hide them from view. The U shaped construction provides the door edge with a reinforced edge, but does so by introducing a metal side cap that is not aesthetically pleasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,790 issued to Schimpf discloses a reinforcing plate for reinforcing a door jamb to prevent break-ins and particularly kick-ins of the door by unauthorized persons. The assembly is hidden within the door jamb, but the assembly does not provide reinforcement to the door""s edge. Since the door""s edge is not reinforced, the entrance is still vulnerable to forced entry by shattering the door""s edge.
While these devices provide satisfactory reinforcement to doors and door jambs, there still remains a need for an assembly that provides reinforcement to a door""s edge and the door jamb while being concealed so that such reinforcement does not detract from the appearance of the door entryway.
Accordingly, it is the object of the claimed invention to provide an assembly that reinforces the door edge and the door jamb of a common doorway in a way that conceals such reinforcement.
This object is accomplished by providing a concealed door and door jamb reinforcement assembly that reinforces the door jamb within the door frame and reinforces the door within the door""s edge. The door jamb is reinforced by inserting a plate between the structural elements of a wall and the doorway""s door jamb to prevent the door frame from being compromised by forced entry. The door is reinforced by inserting a U shaped member within the door""s edge to prevent the door from being compromised by forced entry.
The assembly comprises a wedge shaped rigid plate attached to an inner surface the door jamb so that the plate is concealed from view. The plate has at least one aperture for receiving the latch of a door lock set and has at least one flute along the face of the width of the plate to allow epoxy to be placed between the plate and the door jamb.
The assembly further comprises a U shaped member sized and shaped to fit within a U shaped channel cut into the free end of a door so that the U shaped member is substantially flush with the surface of the free end of the door so that the U shaped member is concealed from view from the front face and the back face of the door. The U shaped member has at least one aperture to allow the latch of a door lock set to pass through the U shaped member.